


The Redemption of Jesse St. James

by Sophia Loving (sophialoving)



Category: Glee
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-18 03:23:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3554204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophialoving/pseuds/Sophia%20Loving
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Rachel Berry found out that her first actual boyfriend Jesse St. James had earned the male lead in the musical she had recently auditioned for, she wasn't expecting to see the guy she had fallen in love with four years earlier. Yet, there he was, standing in front of her, and all of a sudden, a second chance at love was in front of her. She was ready to forgive but she wasn't going to make it easy for him.</p><p>When Jesse St. James found out that his first love Rachel Berry had auditioned for the female lead in the musical he had been cast in, he was hoping it would be his opportunity to make things right with her. When she reveals her plans for the future, he realizes it's going to take everything he has to win her heart again.</p><p>Will the two of them be able to manage as they rebuild what they once had?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Redemption of Jesse St. James

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel has decided to go back to NYADA...but she hasn't forgotten Jesse's offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved that Jesse St. James came back in We Built This Glee Club and I'm glad that there's an opportunity for him to be redeemed because I think he was genuinely sorry about the egging in Season 1 and felt that he had to play along with it.

Looking back on the conversation in the auditorium, Rachel understood one thing very clearly: Jesse St. James did some growing up while he was gone. The last time they had seen each other during her senior year at McKinley High, Jesse still had the arrogance of his teen years but for some reason she had yet to find out, that arrogance had mellowed into a confidence that suited him better. It reminded her of the guy she had fallen in love with her sophomore year. Had he made certain decisions differently, Rachel would not have had the chance to fall in love with anyone else, she was willing to admit that to herself. Once she had gotten her point across that his teenage misdeeds had not been forgotten, she felt better about reconnecting with him.

The kiss, however, was unexpected. His lips pressed against hers and the reactions they would trigger threw her off balance. It wasn't until he had walked out of the auditorium that she finally managed to pull herself together moments before Kurt came to grab her to drag her to the choir room. Putting her thoughts on the back burner, Rachel decided it was time to celebrate the accomplishments of her glee club.

* * *

Once the trophies had been put away and the glee club had taken off, Rachel walked herself out of the school, ready to lock herself up in her room to sort out her thoughts, only to find Kurt standing by her car with an expectant look on his face.

“I saw Jesse St. James come out of the auditorium earlier.”

Rachel simply replied, “And?”

“You're going not going to fall for that smooth act of his, are you?” Kurt sounded genuinely concerned at the thought.

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Kurt, Jesse made some very childish mistakes in the past, but...he's not a bad guy."

Kurt narrowed his eyes. “Rachel, you're on the cusp of a new beginning; I'd hate for someone like Jesse St. James to ruin this for you.”

“He won't, Kurt,” Rachel assured him with a firm determination in her voice, “I won't let him.”

“Good.” Kurt paused for a moment before adding, “I hope for your sake he's changed.”

Rachel watched as Kurt walked to his own car before she took off; there was someone she needed to see before she made yet another important decision.

* * *

 

“This is the first time in over a year that I've seen you really smile.”

It was Carole Hudson's voice that brings Rachel back from her reverie while she sat at Finn's grave. At first, she was a little saddened by this observation but realizing that it was Finn's own mother that made it drove the point home and she pushed herself to maintain the smile.

“I know,” she replied, “It feels like everything's coming together again. Going back to NYADA, refocusing on the things that I wanted before I left this place the first time – I'm back where I need to be.”

“Good.” Carole sat down next to Rachel and added, “Finn would have wanted to you to get your life back on track, you know?”

“I do. And I also know he would want me to be happy.”

“Does that mean things are moving forward with Sam?”

Rachel raised an eyebrow as if to ask 'How did you know?' without saying a word. She hadn't really talked to Carole much since Finn's death and the question surprised her.

“You know Kurt; once that guy talks, he never stops,” Carole explained in response to the raised eyebrow.

“Sam and I were exploring some feelings...” Punctuating her sentence with a shrug, Rachel added, “No matter what, he'll always be a really good friend.”

Carole nodded. “No matter what happens, you're still family to me, and to Burt and Kurt as well. If you need anything...”

Rachel's smile suddenly lit up her face at the older woman's words; they were as good as getting Finn's approval at this point. “Thanks, Carole, but I'll be all right,” she told her.

And for the first time in over a year, Rachel actually believed it.

* * *

 

The offer of staying with Jesse in New York was a constant thought in the background as she made plans for returning to New York. Rachel knew that Kurt would be sharing an apartment with his husband, and while she was sure that Blaine and Kurt wouldn't mind having her around, she really wanted to give the newlyweds their space. She wasn't going to have anything set up when she got there, and would probably take a while before she got a job to save up for her own place. A roommate always appealed to her as far as splitting the rent was concerned. It was still expensive but it would cost less than a dorm room at NYADA. The more she thought about it, the more Jesse's offer sounded appealing, at least for a short amount of time. She wasn't ready to consider the long term implications of her staying with him; she was already having trouble dealing with their natural chemistry.

Still, when working on her re-enrolment package, Rachel didn't complete a request for a dorm along with it. She was actually going to take Jesse up on his offer. Grabbing her cell phone, she sat on her bed and dialled the number she had for the St. James house.

 “ _Hello?”_

 “Hi, Jesse, it's Rachel.” 

 “ _Hey, Berry, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?”_

 “I was wondering if your offer from the other day was still on the table.” 

 “ _You want to stay with me in New York?”_

 “Yeah, at least for a while, until I get settled into my own place and stuff.”

 “ _Of course, and you can take all the time you need for that, no strings attached. I promise.”_

 “Of course. No strings attached.”

 “ _So when are you headed out to New York?”_

 “I'm heading in tomorrow morning.”

 “ _Me too! Rehearsals are starting this week. What are the chances of that?”_

 “How'd you find out when I was leaving?”

 “ _Rachel, it was a coincidence this time, I swear. No nefarious plot.”_

 “Of course. Listen, thank you for this. I'm really thankful you're doing this for me.”

 “ _It's the least I could do to make things up to you. I was never really good to you, was I?”_

 “It's different now; we've both done a lot of growing up. I think we could be friends now.”

 “ _I hope so.”_

 “I'll see you tomorrow, Jesse.”

 “ _See ya.”_

 


End file.
